


Anchor

by astrxd



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, I guess? Probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 11:47:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5664988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrxd/pseuds/astrxd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Cross posted on my tumblr!] Astrid and Hiccup's relationship has continued to flower over the years, but as they grow older, responsibility and adulthood catch up with them. The two still find time for one another, but their respective duties each come with a catch- one that doesn't seem to bode very well with their relationship. Astrid has her doubts and reservations, and deep contemplation of where she stands in Hiccup's life provide... results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, as I stated on my tumblr, this is a series that I never actually planned out. It's more of something that just... happens to write itself, whenever I'm in that angsty-Hiccstrid mood. That said, I'll try to update regularly, but no promises! :)

He was in his prime, there was no question about that. Hiccup was inventing and engineering like no tomorrow- he was coming up with ways to help both dragons and Vikings alike. Life was never better on Berk, and everybody was aware that Hiccup had a large- the largest, if anything- part in the current swing of things.

Perhaps that was why Astrid felt so inexplicably sick.

It was difficult to put into words. Her stomach twisted and her chest ached and it was difficult to speak, let alone think. She didn’t know what to attribute her illness to, but it sure as Hel wasn’t like any other ol’ cold or sickness that she’s seen in other people. It was unlike any other, but the symptoms were similar to those she experienced on several different occasions. For example, when Hiccup was battling the Green Death. And literally every other time when something terrible could potentially happen to the Haddock. That said, she was later able to determine that the nausea she was enduring was due to _him_.

 _Him_ , the Pride of Berk. The boy who trained a dragon, and brought about a great era of peace for all Berkians. He who held such a great mind, that all of Berk was renovated. And she didn’t mean any of that in a condescending, jealous way! If anything, she was among the _most proud_ of Hiccup and everything he’s accomplished. On top of that, Astrid knew where she stood among all of it.

She was Astrid Hofferson. Dragon trainer, dragon rider, strong Berkian Viking of the Hairy Hooligan tribe. Astrid Hofferson didn’t question _who_ she was, or her place. As confident as the blonde was, however, there were in fact times when she questioned herself in the sense of how she affected people. ‘People’ being Hiccup.

Sometimes, Astrid felt as if she were an anchor on the Haddock.

He was… incredible, and incredibly talented. He was the source of the water towers constructed around the island for both species, the person behind the dragon feeding and grooming stations, he revolutionized ships and fishing nets and so many countless other things. Hiccup’s impact on Berk was immense, but Astrid couldn’t help but feel like he was capable of so much more. As if all of his potential was just half-tapped. And, being herself, Astrid wanted him to go as far as possible in life.

In the past, there was hardly any room for deviation from the traditional Viking life. You train, you fight dragons, you marry to bring honor and unity to your family and to have children, who will go through the same process as you did. Astrid was raised to be the perfect little dragon slaying Viking- but she never wanted to marry. She never wanted to become somebody’s wife, and she never wanted to be stuck inside a house with children when she could have been hacking apart a dragon. Astrid didn’t want to be held back from reaching her full potential. 

Obviously, all of her ideals changed- especially the one about dragons. The only one that remained in her life was the very last: she refused to let anybody keep her from… well, anything. Of course, Astrid took instruction from others, and didn’t just disregard all rules and whatnot, but she didn’t want an _anchor._

But then she met Hiccup Horrendous Haddock The Third. She  _really_ met Hiccup.  
  
She met the boy with the tenacity and ambition like no other. The same boy introduced her to the sky, and taught her how to fly. Ironically, she also learned that Hiccup helped to keep her grounded (in a positive way).   
  
...Like an anchor, almost.

He had gone on a trip to some large, grand scale meeting to a distant tribe. Word of Berk’s dragons caught them, and the faraway village wanted an alliance. Of course, Stoick the Vast had insisted that his son, a future chief, came along for the week long “vacation” for the experience.

Astrid had spent a lot of time thinking that same week. It was quieter without Hiccup around, and the quiet had sent her spiraling into the deepest corners of her mind.

She wondered if he was enjoying himself. She was glad that Toothless accompanied him- it made her feel much better about him being in completely foreign territory. Astrid wondered about how things were in that land- what kinds of foods there were, what kind of music and customs and clothes and…

And what kind of people?

Astrid was certain that there was no other tribe like the Hairy Hooligans of Berk- not anywhere in the Barbaric Archipelago or beyond. She wondered if the land Hiccup was visiting was like a breath of fresh air, like finally being in the sky after hours on the ground. She wondered if the people there were more interesting, if they were more advanced, if he was beginning to believe that Berk and its people were nothing more than just the cause of his stripped wings.

These kinds of thoughts nagged at her constantly throughout the week. As one could imagine, they got dry relatively fast. She made attempts to drone them out with flight training and axe throwing, but everything seemed to just remind her of Hiccup… And how much more she, and the rest of Berk, should appreciate him. The boy had a Night Fury; if he wanted, he could up and leave Berk to travel and map the entire world, yet he remained anchored to the island she sat on- and she was contemplating how he felt about that. Naturally, one would just ask, but Astrid didn’t find the need to just yet.

She and her dragon were secluded on the peak of Raven Point, camping out for any sign of the return of the chief and his son. Astrid leaned back against her faithful Deadly Nadder and furrowed her brow, deep in thought.

Astrid pictured the events of that fateful night. She could feel the wind tickling her nose, and the clouds running through her fingers; they were two sensations she’d never forget. Especially when she flew Stormfly so often. Astrid loved a lot of things. She loved Berk, and dragon racing, and dried fruit. She loved the sky, and Stormfly, and flying, and… and she loved Hiccup. He never, ever kept her from acting as she wished. He gave her advice and guided her... but he never made decisions for her. 

Her gaze drifted towards the horizon once more, where a dark speck appeared on the edge of the water. In the sky, however, was an even darker speck- but it moved much quicker than the one sitting on the water. There was an explosion in the sky, and a the cry of a Night Fury could be heard.

Regardless of where Hiccup went, Astrid had faith in him. He could fly to the edge of the world, explore all that’s out there, and make all of his decisions on his own. Even with his duties and responsibilities as a future chief, he was free to make the choices he wanted. 

Eventually, he was bound to return to Berk. 

She smiled fondly and stood up, a little plan hatching in her mind as she mounted Stormfly.

And if he didn’t, she’d follow him.

“Come on, girl,” Astrid said, smiling at the coo she received as a response. “Let’s go pay our favorite island a little visit.”

But sometimes, it was fun to make him follow her, too. 

...  
  
Maybe anchors weren’t all bad. 


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup had his sights trained on Berk. More specifically, _wherever Astrid was._

Over the course of the last week, Hiccup had learned so much. He _experienced_ so much- and he wanted to share that with the Hofferson girl. She was a confidant to him; a friend, an equal, and so much more. He could only imagine how interested she’d be in hearing of his exploits, and anticipated showing her drawings and sketches so that they may bounce ideas off of each other to further advance the village. Granted, Hiccup was almost positive that she’d slowly gain interest in _other things_ , not that he’d complain about it. Atop of it all, the Haddock had some matters more important than architecture to discuss with _her._

Perhaps that was why Hiccup felt so inexplicably anxious.

 _Her_ , the blonde beauty that he was completely enchanted with. She was fierce, and among the strongest Vikings Hiccup knew. Astrid Hofferson was the embodiment of _courage;_ Hiccup’s had a front row seat to that show. Hiccup was capable of going on and on about the relentless Viking, but one of the major factors that drew him in was just how deceiving she was- but not _that_ kind of deceiving. Her beauty was unlike any other, as well: true to her name, she was divine, but she was equally tough. Typically, one associated beauty with fragility, but one glance at Astrid Hofferson would completely change that perspective.

She was a rock to him; the person he knew he could turn to, regardless of the situation. _Sure,_ he had his father and Gobber and the other teens (sorta), but Astrid was always… there. She was the very person who showed him that _yes,_ even the toughest and most determined Vikings are capable of changing their views on dragons. If not for her… Hiccup didn’t know where he and Toothless- or Berk- would be now.

Now, he and Astrid have gone periods of time apart. Being away from each other was nothing new! They weren’t a stranger to distance, but this go around, the distance was unlike any other. Typically, the two would exchange letters every once in awhile via air mail, but the ocean that separated them was vast, and neither were comfortable sending a Terrible Terror to fly such a length for such a brief message. That didn’t keep Hiccup from writing her letters, however. He just didn’t get to send them. In fact, the Haddock was still contemplating whether or not to give them to her- some were lengthy and… embarrassing, to say the least. The sheaves of papers of varying sizes were tucked away in one of Toothless’ saddlebags, safely hidden from any curious minds.

Speaking of saddlebags, Hiccup was just about finished buckling them to his dragon. The wet rock he called home was just in the horizon, and Hiccup could already feel the warmth of the Great Hall envelope him. They were quite a time away from actually arriving at the docks, seeing as the ship was moving at a… rather slow pace. Hiccup found the wait time _unbearable,_ so he had decided to speed up his arrival time by mounting Toothless and going ahead of the ship. Of course, his father had his reservations, but didn’t say much.

The two took to the skies only moments later, cutting through the wind with a precision unlike any other. They had to be a fourth of the way to Berk when Hiccup saw a far-off, but strikingly blue, Deadly Nadder take off and begin flying. They went up, but almost immediately dove back down into the forests of Berk. Hiccup narrowed his eyes, a few suspicions rising at the sight. It had to be Astrid- he was completely certain of it.

He also had a suspicion as to just where she was going.

* * *

 

Astrid was standing before Stormfly, her forehead pressed lovingly against the horn protruding from the end of the Nadder’s head. A tender hand had swept beneath the dragon’s jaw, and Hiccup could practically feel the emotion behind the action, even while suspended in the air.

When he and Toothless touched down in the cove, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It was the cove that he had first found Toothless- the cove where it all began. It was a place of beginnings… It was where Astrid learned of Hiccup’s true colors.

And it felt like it all happened yesterday.

The two others in the area turned their heads the moment they arrived. Hiccup’s heart _swelled_ with the way Astrid smiled at him. He’d never, ever grow tired of seeing that smile, he was sure of it. He dismounted Toothless, and the Night Fury immediately pounced forward to greet Astrid and Stormfly. The dragon warbled happily and accepted the attention Astrid paid him, but it was fleeting. Hiccup had approached as well, and the sleek black reptile practically shoved the blonde towards him.

Astrid stumbled, but only slightly. Even then, the Haddock was there, his hands resting fondly on her hips. Her hands were pressed against the thin armor on his chest, and in that moment, the two were thrust into their own little world.

Hiccup gazed at Astrid, his eyes carefully scanning her face. He already had it committed to memory, but he simply couldn’t see it enough. He stood there, with her flush against her, for a long time- but it only felt like seconds, because Astrid had leaned forward to capture his lips with her own.

They were soft, supple, just as he remembered them, just as he imagined them. His eyes slipped shut in contentment, and Hiccup returned the kiss, their lips pressed together seamlessly. Hiccup felt her fingers crawl up to his cheeks, then into his hair, deepening the gesture. He was keenly aware of how she tugged gently at the two braids resting at the nape of his neck, as if she were _surprised_ that he left them in.

Hel, he took special care to maintain them.

Eventually, they had to part. Astrid moved back the slightest bit and looked at him with eyes that made him _melt._ The smile gracing her lips was nothing short of stunning, either.

He stole a few more kisses. Feathery kisses, on her forehead and nose and cheeks.

“Hiccup,” she breathed, laughter in her voice. Her hands gently pushed him away, but Hiccup remained unrelenting. “Gods, _Hiccup,”_ she said again, leaning backwards and pulling a serious face. He saw through it, however- she was only joking.

“ _Frigga,_ I missed you so much,” he told her, quiet but adoringly. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you--”

“I missed you, too,” Astrid responded, her hand pressed against his cheek. Hiccup nuzzled into it, leaning into her touch. “And I love you, too, babe--” Another kiss. Hiccup was enjoying this reunion very, very much.

But he knew he had to get down to business. Hiccup opened his mouth to speak, but promptly closed it, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“How was it?” the Hofferson murmured, as if she sensed his distress. Her radiant features seemed to dim with concern. Astrid slipped her hands into his and guided him to the earth, sitting hip to hip, but remained intently looking at him.

“It was- it was _amazing_ ,” he gushed, smiling once more. Hiccup squeezed her hands, bringing them close to his chest. “I wish you came with us. There was just, so many new things. No new dragons, but it was still incredible. There were so many different kinds of buildings and-and foods and…” he continued, shaking Astrid’s hands as he spoke animatedly.

He went on like that for a while, but when _the topic_ came up… She looked shocked, so he explained.

Astrid appeared to be more invested in what he had to say than ever.

* * *

 

“What?” she demanded, her voice rising and her shoulders squaring. Toothless and Stormfly both looked in their direction. “You’re getting _married?_ ” Astrid held his hands tighter, but then her group faltered, and tightened once more. The gesture alone was enough to spell out how she was feeling, if the broken look in her eyes wasn’t enough for him.

Hiccup drew in a breath and furiously shook his head. “No! No, Astrid, I’m not getting married--”

“Yet,” Astrid tacked on, now quieter. As if the ‘yet’ implied that it _wouldn’t be her._ He didn’t know what to do, or say.

“Astrid, please, hear me out. It was just an _offer_ ,” Hiccup pleaded, frowning. Astrid seemed distant, as if she was staring through him. He should have just kept it from her! He knew that he shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. It was trouble from the get go, yet…

He didn’t have it in himself to hide something so important.

“An offer,” she repeated, looking like the words were poison on her lips. “That you’re considering.”

“Astrid, stop putting words in my mouth,” he asserted, a tone of finality in his voice. His expression was sour now, and there was an uneven beat in his chest, which only worsened with each word spoken. _No, no, no_ , he chanted internally, trying to reason with the Viking. It was one of the downsides to her tenacity- she wouldn’t listen. She just _wouldn’t._ “I don’t want to marry another chieftain’s daughter. I don’t want--”

“But you have to, don’t you?” Astrid was pulling away from him now, and avoiding eye contact. Suddenly, the soreness that Hiccup was keeping at bay this past week washed over him like a relentless tide, threatening to pull him further into sea. His muscles began to ache- including his heart.

“Astrid--” He held onto her, refusing to let go.

“Don’t you?” she repeated, yanking her hand away. Then she took a step back. She took a step back, and the crack that was already forming in his heart deepened. “Because it’s too good of an offer, because it’s your duty as the chief’s son, because your marriage is supposed to _mean something_ \--”

“You’re blowing this whole thing out of the water! The offer was already denied, Astrid! I don’t understand why you won’t _listen_ to me--”

“Because maybe you _should_ marry her--” Astrid had her back to him now and walked away.

“I don’t need you to make these decisions for me, Az, I’m a grown man-- Oh, so now you’re going to turn around and--” He followed her, despite her obvious effort to put distance between them. He didn’t _want_ distance. He wanted to keep her close, to keep her safe. Astrid was usually so easy for him to open up to, but this time was just… different. He didn’t know why, but was slowly killing him. Everything exploded so quickly- Hiccup knew Astrid had a temper, but...

“--it would be better for Berk, because we need the alliance--”

“Could you please just stop? I don’t- I, what even- what’s gotten into you? Why aren’t you _listening_ to anything I’m telling you--”

“Because, Hiccup!” she whipped around, I’m holding you back, damn it!”

Hiccup was about to retort, but he slowly registered her words. His mouth was agape, and he had winced sharply. Her previous words and actions were a knife in his chest, but that very phrase… That was twisting the blade. He heard Toothless coo, and Stormfly chatter, and Astrid breathe heavily.

“I… W-What? What does, what does that even mean--” he began, stumbling over his own words. Astrid herself looked shocked with herself. The Haddock urged his legs to move, and bridged the distance between them. It was only a few steps, but it felt like _miles._ He held her at arm’s length, his expression _pained._

What hurt even more was seeing the pain on _Astrid’s_ face.

Where did all of this _come_ from? Had he been blind this entire time? Hiccup felt as if he had been missing something now, as if he wasn’t paying enough attention to her.

_Sweet, sweet Thor, no._

“I should go,” Astrid mumbled, pulling away from him.

“Astrid, wait, please just--” Hiccup let her go, only to rush to Toothless’ side. He had to find them- he had to give them to her. If she just _read_ the letters…

“I’m sorry,” she exhaled, whistling to Stormfly. The Nadder hesitantly trotted forward, but both of their respective dragons seemed to be overcome with worry. She crooned at Astrid, rubbing against her rider before stooping a little to assist in the mounting process.

“Astrid! You’re- you’re joking, right? This is a joke--”

Somehow, with the way she didn’t look back after launching into the air, Hiccup knew that there was no way that this could have been avoided. The Haddock was left watching Astrid take off with a gaping hole in his chest, a somber Night Fury rubbing at his hand, and a bundle of paper in his other.

He looked down at the paper resolutely.


	3. Chapter 3

Astrid didn’t go home.

She flew off, but she didn’t stay on Berk. The Hofferson had no particular destination in mind, but she wasn’t going back to Berk, not yet. Until she could clear her damn mind, she would  stay suspended in the air, above the clouds, where her troubles couldn’t follow her.

Her troubles literally couldn’t follow her. Astrid _knew_ that Hiccup had to remain on Berk for the time being, lest he faces his father’s wrath. He wouldn’t dare disappear on the evening that he was meant to debrief the village’s council on the matters discussed with the other tribe, especially if he wanted to keep his head on his shoulders.

She’d remain flying for as long as she could.

Gods, why did she _say_ that? She thought she had it under control! Astrid could have sworn that she had resolved all of those issues prior to seeing Hiccup, but then he started talking about _‘the good of Berk and its people_ ’ and then he started talking about _marriage_ and how the chief of its tribe offered Hiccup his _only_ child to be his bride--

And she snapped.

Her grip on Stormfly’s saddle faltered, and her fingers quivered. It was as if her bones were reduced to dust, and her heart had shattered into a million pieces. She didn’t know why she was so Godsdamn _emotional_ all of a sudden! He told her several times that they denied the proposal, that he wasn’t going to get married to some random girl from some random tribe.

But the thing was, she wasn’t all that random. _They_ weren’t all that random. They were a prominent society, and they’d be spectacular trading partners. Their island had materials that Berk lacked, they had different pieces of technology. Hiccup told her these things, so there was no way that a marriage between their heir and Berk’s heir _wouldn’t_ be a good thing to Astrid; to the dutiful Astrid. The one whose very existence surrounded doing what was best for those around her, for her people. It was her lifeblood- what she lived for!

Except it wouldn’t be a good thing. Not to the other Astrid, the one that was hidden by her exterior shell of confidence and strength. To the Astrid who was more in tune with empathy and compassion and her emotions in general, this had to be the worst thing to ever happen to her.

The real problem? These two Astrids, they were the same Astrid. She was at war with _herself,_ and she didn’t know who was winning, nor did she think either side could win. Astrid felt a sharp sting in her eyes and a tight knot form in her throat, but she angrily shoved the feelings down. She reached her arm to her face and rubbed her eyes, as her hand would act as a dam that would suppress all of her twisted feelings.

Feelings. _To Hel with feelings_ , she thought.

That was… one solution. She could avoid the problem entirely- she could avoid _Hiccup._ The only problem was that it was hardly a solution; it would only prolong her pain- both of their pains. She wasn’t blind, she was well aware that she had hurt Hiccup with her behavior. It wasn’t fair by any means, that was clear to her, as well. She was brewing up a storm over such petty things.

Hiccup had his own hardships. He was next in line to be chief, and he knew that as well as she did. It was an honor… but it had to be stressful. With the added pressure of being ‘the Pride of Berk,’ Astrid didn’t have to imagine what he was going through, because he _told_ her about these things, too. It became apparent that the situation she had forced him into a situation that was more unfair than she first thought.

She really was an anchor, dragging him back- emotionally, mentally, physically. Self-doubt was a completely new experience for the Hofferson, and it was safe to say that she one hundred percent, absolutely despised it.

Why did Hiccup have to be so _kind_?

She didn’t understand. She was an apparent source of many difficulties, yet he stood by her, unwavering. He was an immovable stone, indomitable in every way possible… But Astrid pushed. She pushed, and pushed, and _pushed,_ because she was a _pushy person._ Things were changing, and Astrid regretted her foolish actions. She should have listened to him, and she should have been more understanding of his feelings. It was a simple problem that could have easily been solved with a little communication, but she _ran._

 _Oh, no,_ she mourned, dread filling her heart.

She ran away from a problem! She _fled,_ she _retreated,_ she was showing signs of _weakness._ Weakness wasn’t a bad thing, she had long learned that lesson. But it was tearing her apart, solely because she was hurting Hiccup in the process of making such bad decisions. A heavy amount of shame and regret numbed her senses.

She was going to destroy herself at this rate. Astrid was tired, she realized that now. Her muscles ached with a soreness that rivaled the pain after a day of intense training with her axe. Not even the beautiful sky was making her feel better- the very thing that she turned to when she needed to calm down without the aid of Hiccup. The wind that blew against her face seemed to only encourage the waterworks, which she profusely resisted.

At least, _she thought_ she was resisting them.

Something tickled her lip- something small and wet, yet so… striking. Astrid gasped quietly, a sound reserved solely for herself and her beloved dragon. Stormfly cooed at her rider, her warble overflowing with worry and concern. Astrid had gone still- still to the point that the Deadly Nadder had feared the worst. The Hofferson lifted her hand to wipe away the tears, and she took a heavy breath in order to calm down.

Halfway through the motion, she dropped her arm and let the tears flow.

The mere thought of Hiccup _marrying_ somebody else, _kissing_ somebody else, _holding_ somebody else… She couldn’t take it. Her chest sagged with a heavy heart, and ironically enough, all she had wanted was to wrap her arms around the Haddock and tell him how much she appreciated his presence. Astrid had gone from self-reliant, to reliant on both herself… _and_ him.

Perhaps it was time to return to Berk.

 

* * *

 

By the time she got back, it was dusk.

When Astrid stepped through the door of her house, she was fully expecting her mother to be furious with her for being out so late, when she told her what she would just be going on a short spin. In reality, however, her mother simply greeted her and announced that she would not be cooking dinner, for everybody was expected to be at the Great Hall for a celebration of the chief’s return.

Of course.

“He dropped by today, lass,” her mother said as she began climbing the stairs. The younger Hofferson paused in her tracks to turn around and face her mother, prompting her to continue. “The Haddock boy, I mean. The poor lad was worried sick about ye, I thought ‘e was going to throw up fer a moment,” she laughed softly. Astrid blinked at her, wondering if there was a point to this. It was bad enough that she stormed off like that, but to learn that he tried to find her… That was sweet, but he didn’t try very hard.

“He left ye a package. It’s up in yer room.” That was all she needed to know. The young woman murmured her thanks before heading upstairs.

She couldn’t get there fast enough.

The door was shut and locked behind her, and Astrid immediately saw the bundle of paper sitting neatly on her bed, tied up with a red piece of string. She sat down and carefully pulled the string loose, but kept the strand safely wrapped around her finger.

The papers were… letters? Several sheets of continued entries, like a loose diary.

* * *

 

_Well, hello, milady!_

_I’m not entirely sure why I’m writing this- we did agree to not send any letters, in favor of keeping Sharpshot from getting into any… trouble. But it’s comforting to think that you’re going to read this, even if you’re not._

_Maybe you will- eventually? No clue._

_We’re still relatively close to Berk. My father won’t stop going on and on about how important it is that I make a good impression, seeing as I’m his son and the heir and the ‘Pride of Berk’ and yadda yadda. I’d rather listen to you talk about weapons and Deadly Nadders._

_HHH III_

x

_Astrid,_

_I’m going to be sick. Honestly, the seas are more rough than usual, and Toothless isn’t very happy about it, either. He almost ruined the ship’s mast with plasma blast, thanks to the rocking of the ship._

_I wish we travelled by dragon! We would have been there by now, which means I’d be back home even sooner._

_HHH III_

x

_Astrid,_

_Almost there! Good thing, too, because I’m way tired of sleeping in the ship’s cabins. Plus, the constant rocking? Yeah, no, thanks._

_It’s cold out here, surprisingly. The furs I brought are a little thin, but they were the ones I use every night._

_I think I’m a little to used to having you next to me._

_HHH III_

x

_Oh, Gods, hopefully my dad doesn’t find that one. He’d never let me hear the end of it._

x

_...I think he found it. Odin, help me, he’s talking about my “future responsibility as a chief.”_

_I’m doomed._

x

_I believe I’m going to forgo the greeting and closing now- it’s all a bit redundant, don’t you think? We’re arriving in just a couple of hours. It looks… fantastic from here. Dad won’t let me fly ahead on Toothless._

x

 _It’s incredible! I think they really, really like dragons. There’s hardly any in this area, though- but it’s somewhat warmer here, so there are_ a lot _more different kinds of fruits and plants. I wish you could see them, Astrid._

x

_Today was eventful. I met the chief, there was a feast- the food was fantastic, and I also met the chief’s daughter. We talked about how crazy our fathers are. It’s funny, maybe all dad-chiefs are like this?_

_I like it here. It’s nice and all… but it’s still not Berk. I miss all of the dragons. I almost forgot how quiet it would be without them all there; here… all you hear is the ocean and birds. It’s foreign._

_Honestly, I just want to map the islands around this place so we can add it to the map- to_ our _map. It would be nicer if you were here to help me, but dad refuses to let me out of his sights! It’s all business and politics, and it’s boring me to death._

 _If I don’t come back alive, I died of boredom. That’s how this Viking’s story ends, Az. Can you believe it? Because, funnily enough,_ I _definitely can._

x

_Can’t sleep. They were kind enough to let Toothless share a room with me, but I still find it insane how they have a room that big in the first place. Seriously, the buildings here are huge! And they’re all so beautifully built. I’ve been keeping notes of the things I think Berk could use to improve. I’ll show you all of my sketches when I’m back! I can’t wait to hear what you think._

x

_Oh, sweet Thor._

_I went to breakfast, and everybody was already there, looking like somebody died. It was me, Astrid, I died. My dad gave me the “son, we need to talk” business, and I knew it wasn’t going to be good. They ended up telling me that a marriage proposal was in the making- but it wasn’t the groom-to-be proposing… It was the bride. More specifically, the bride’s father proposing to the supposed groom’s father._

_Supposed, as in I got the Hel out of there as soon as the words “marriage proposal” left dad’s mouth. He’s going to be furious at me for making him look bad, but I don’t care._

_I should have known that this was going to happen. If you got to come along, then I wouldn’t have to deal with this mess. A lot of things would be different if you were here- a good different._

_I think I’ll just talk to you about this in person._

x

_It turned out that the other chieftain’s daughter was hoping I’d refuse. She has her own person that she’s got her sights set on, thankfully. She told me that she explained that to both our fathers, and the deal was cut off right then._

_Dad still yelled at me. I’ll write down what he said somewhere else, juuuust so I can reenact it for you. Yeah, I love you_ that _much._

_I haven’t written that in a long time, huh?_

_Well, here it is again: I love you, Astrid Hofferson._

_Man, it’s nice to see that on paper._

* * *

 

Astrid was only about halfway through the letters when something began knocking at the window in her room. She quickly shoved the parchment under her pillow and snapped her head towards the glass panel, only to see Hiccup, looking rather distressed and.... unsteady.

...Astrid’s room was on the second story of her house.


End file.
